Attachment for corn-popping machines



T. w. WILLIAMS. ATTACHMENT FOR CORN POPPING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.21. i916.

Patented Nov. 30,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. W. WILLIAMS.

ATTAcHMEN FOR coRN PoPPlNG MACHINES.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

61171701 neg UNITED y STATES PA'IENT oFFICE.

THOMAS W. WILLIAMS, OF

. ATTACHMENT ron To all/whom z' may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. WIL LIAMs, a citizen ofthe United/States, and resident vof Charleston, yin the county of Coles and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Corn-Popping Machines, ofl which the following is a specification. This invention relatesto corn popping ap-y paratus, and has more especialreference to an improved dumping attachment therefor. The primary objectof. the invention is the provision of an attachmentof this char# acter, wherein on rendering the driving mechanism for the corn popping cylinderL inactive, the hopper end of the casing therefor is automatically opened to permit the unpopped corn which drops from said cylj inder to be discharged fromthe casing, thereby eliminating any possibility Of coniiagration resultantfromfthe firing vof lthe unpopped corn if confined within said casing as is usual in corn 'poppingmachines Another object ofthe invention is the provision of an attachment of this'character, wherein the dumping mechanism vwill be simultaneously operatedv when actuating thel driving mechanism of thecorn popping machine. Y A further object of the invention is the provision of an attachment of this charac# ter which canbe installed on practicallyl any form of corn poppinginachine employing independent dumping means Vforemptying the unpopped corn, without necessitating alterations or changes inthe construction of the corn popping machine. f A still further object ofthe invention is the provision of an attachment of this char-y acter, which is comparatively simple in construction, readily and easily applied toan'd removed from a corn popping` machina thoroughly reliable and efiicient inv its operation, and inexpensive to manufacture and install. The improvements in 'the details v andjar-A rangements of parts willbe apparentfrom an inspection of the accompanying drawj ings, in connection with the specific ilescri'ption hereinafter contained, andwherein the preferred embodiment" of the invention is disclosed for the purposelof imparting a full understanding of the improvements.. u In the drawings: l Figure 1 is an end elevation o'f a corn popping machine with the'upper portionV of CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS'.

CoRN-iorPiNG MACHINES.

; #Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted NOV, 30, 1920, Apiiiicatinnid December 21, y1916. f s riaiNm 138,208. l y i the casing partly broken away,'showing in detail the `driving mechanism and shift lever therefor with'the attachment constructed in accordance with the invention applied, the driving mechanism being in inoperative position, vwhile the dumping attachment is in open position. j n

'g`. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view showing a portion of the rotary corn popping cylinder of the machine. f .i Fig 3 yis a fragmentary detail perspective view of ycertain yparts ofthe dumping attachment.7

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation partly in section showing in detail the pivotal connectionof the attachment.V

have shown `for the purpose of illustration the' improved dumping attachmenty as applied Similarreference characters indicate cor- Referring more particularly to the draw'-v to thedrivingniechanismof a conventional i formoff'corn popping machine, the-casing ofthe latter being indicated in its entirety by the numerall and this casing at its lower end terminates in a discharge hopper as usual. Mounted'v transversely of the casing isfthe usual driven shaft 2 which is journaled in lsaid casing in any; suitable'manner and .has fiXedVthereon exteriorly of: said casing a .beveled gear 3, `which latter is adapted yto receive motion from the drivingconnection hereinafter fully described. The shaft 2 has fixed or otherwise connected Vthereto interiorlyof the casing 1` a rotary corn popping cylinder A, Lthel .saine being of any ordinary well knownconstruction. For l'rigidly supporting the gear 3, that is, `to prevent undue movement of the same, a bracket arm. 4 `is; engaged with the casing 1` as at 5 and has formed thereon a extremity of the shaft 2 is disposed.

With a viewtoward providing the necessary meanswhereby power may be transmitted to the' gear 8 andthe corn popping cyl-` A suitable bearingthrough which the adjacent e z f inderA, there is provided upon the lower i portion of the `bracket aim 4 an upwardly `extending arm which latter is ydisposed preferablyat an angle to the arm 4e and has 'pivotally connected asat 17 thereto a link 8,

which `is, loosely connected through they medium ofan annular looped portion intermediate'its ends with the collar of a sliding gear 9 adapted for engagement With the gear 3, the gear 9 being splined or otherwise slidably mounted upon a stub shaft 1() supported in a bearing 11 secured to :the adjacent Wall of the casing of the corn popping machine outer end a beveled gear 12 in mesh With a similar gear 13 carried upon "a driving shaft 14 which is operated from any sultable source of power.

'The link 8 has pivotally connected thereto an angle arm 15 which Vhas one extremity thereof vextended beyond the casing '1 of the corn popping machine and this lextremity 1s pivotally connected to a hand operable lever 19 which is pivotally supported in any suitable manner in avbearing bracket 20 carried upon a suitable hanger or support 21'located adjacent to the casingrl of the corn popping machine.

The hand operable lever 19 has formed therein afslot 22 for receiving thepivotal connection between it and thevsaid arm 18 so as to permit the rocking oflthe'lever 19 for imparting movement to the arm 15. On actuating the hand lever 19in one direction the gear 9 will be shifted into meshing engagement with the gear 3 and on reverse movement of said lever 19 thegear'9 will be thrown out of engagement with said gear' 3,

thus in this manner controllingthe operation ofthe corn popping machine.

The dumping attachment comprises a movable gate or slide 23 which is adapted to open and close the discharge endy of the lower hopper portion ofthe casing 1 and the same is movably supported in suitable channel Ways 24 formed on the lower open end of the casing 1 at oppositesides of the discharge o ening therein. Connected to the gate or sli e 23 is a bracket 25 in which is detachably pivoted a link 26, the pivot 27 being passed transversely through the bracket 25 and said link 26. As Will be noted, the link 26 extends for a distance slightly beyond the casing 1 and carries upon the outer end portion a crosslpin 28, saidrpin being adapted to be received'in a suitable socket or seat formed at tlielower `end of `a lever 29 which is pivotally supported in a bracket 30 secured to the casing 1 as at 31, the seat or socket being formed inthe block 32 carried at the lovver end of saidlever.

The seat or socket for the cross pin 28 of the link 26 is formed in the block 32 bythe pockets or notches 33 on opposite sides of a recess or Way 34 into which the' outer end of the link 26 is received, thus, permitting the cross pin 28 to be readilyengaged in said'seat or socket with resultant positive connection of the link 26 with the lever29.

The upper extremity of the lever 29 is preferably offset and is pivotally connected to the hand operable lever 19 at apoint adybeing bolted or otherwise secured and has theV pivotal connection 36 with said lever 29. Stub shaft 10 has fixed to its v jacent to the connection or at the'point of connection of the arm 15 with said lever 19 andthis connection is afforded through the medium of the angular piece 35, the latter v In.` operation of the corn popping Amachine the attendant or operator thereof when desiring 'to Vinterrupt the motion of the cylinder A of said machine the hand operablelever 19 is shifted in a direction to cause the disengagement` of the gear 9'from the gear 3 thereby rendering the driving mechanism of Lsaid machine inactive; On the shifting of the hand operable lever 19 vthe lever 29 Will be rocked on the pivot 30 and by this movement the llink 26 Will shift the gate or slide 23 to open position relative to the discharge endof the hopper portion of the casing "1, thereby permitting the discharge of the contents of said hopper portion, thus permitting theunpopped corn which drops from the corn popping cylinder'interiorly of the machine to be delivered from'the casing lthereo'f.V

Whenf it is desired to operate the corn popping machine the hand operablelever is actuated in a direction to shift the gear 9 into mesh with the gear 3 nso that the driving mechanismris active for actuating Vthe corn popping cylinder interiorly of the casing 1 of the machine. On the meshing of the gear 9 with thegear 3 by actuating the lever 191theilever 29 is moved and through the medium of the'link 26the gate or slide 23 100 is shiftedto closed position relative to the open'end ofthe casingllat thevlower hopper portion thereof to close said opening and thereby prevent the discharge of contents 'from said casing during the operation ofthe 105 corn` popping machine.

claim: y v1.,"The combination with' a corn popping `machinehaving casingand a rotary cylinder therein, said casing having a distherein, of gearing for .imparting rotation tothe rotary cylinder, airst lever mounted on-,thecasing and connectedto saidgearing forgengaging and disengaging the same, said casing `having a discharge-Way formed in its bottom, a slidable valve for normally closing said Way, asecondjlever mounted on the casing and pivotally engaged with said irstlever, and a link pivotally connected to 41,360,606 e n ,3V

said valve and detaohably engaged With the bottom thereof, means for opening and ,0105-y second lever. ing `the valve, and means for simultaneouSly 10 3. In a corn popping "machine, a casing, a operating the gear shifting means, and the rotary corn popping cylinder Within the. valve opening and closing means. f f casing, driving gear n mechanism connected In testimony whereof I afiix my signature with the cylinder, a gear shifting means hereto. K connected with the driving gear mechanism, f Y v a Slide Valve mounted in said casing at the THOMAS W. WILLIAMS. 

